Dec. 16- Laura Carravallah, MD was recently appointed to the Genesee County Board of Health which is responsible for guiding the Genesee County Health Department in its mission to "improve the quality of life in Genesee County by preventing disease, promoting health, and protecting the public from environmental hazards to health."

Laura Carravallah, MD

As the Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program Director, Dr. Carravallah is the leader of one of the most comprehensive resident physician training programs at Hurley Medical Center. While training physicians in evidence-based inpatient and outpatient health care, Dr. Carravallah particularly sees the effects of poverty on all ages, from the very young to the very old.

A Davison resident, Carravallah, who also is president of the Genesee County Medical Society, said she was happy to be appointed to the position, replacing Michael Boucree MD, former Chief Quality Officer at Hurley.

"I was interested because I think the Health Department has a vital mission that must be coordinated with that of the medical community, but sometimes the communication in both directions is not as effective as it needs to be," she said. "With increased and, hopefully, effective communication, I hope that we can work in a synergistic fashion to improve the health of the people in our county."

Carravallah added that she also expects her experience to give new perspectives for her resident physicians at Hurley. "I hope to bring my own improved understanding to our residents and would love to find some areas in which the residents might participate in and contribute to some of the health department's programs," she said.